Penetrating wood-finishing composition



Patented Nov. 27, 1951- PENETRATING WOOD -FINISHING COMPOSITION Frank H. Lyons, Memphis, Tenn., assignor to E. L. Bruce C0,, Memphis, Tenn., a corporation of Delaware No Drawing. Application June 19, 1950, Serial No. 169,073

21 Claims. (Cl. 106-172) This application is a continuation-in-part of my co-pending and abandoned application Serial No. 641,174, filed January 14, 1946, and relates to a new and improved wood finish composition. The composition is particularly well adapted for finishing the so-called hard woods, such as oak and the like, that are extensively used for flooring. More particularly the invention has to do with improvements in the so-called penetrating seal type of wood finishing compositions for use in the factory finishing of hard wood flooring in either strip or block form.

In the factory finishing of hard wood flooring accordin to the disclosure in Gray et al., U. S. Patent No. 2,341,161, issued February 8, 1944, a penetrating seal type of finish composition is applied particularly to open pore wood, e. g. red oak flooring, as a mixture of penetrating finish material, together with a filler material. After application the composition is subjected to brushing, infra-red heating, further brushing (while heated), rubbing-in, polishing, and buffing operations.

It has been found in practice that the penetrating seal finish materials and particularly the film-forming resin, which is highly soluble in the solvent used, and other film-forming materials, penetrate into the wood fibers along with the solvent. These binder substances become evenly and somewhat thinly distributed beneath the wood surface, where they are oxidized and/or polymerized under the action of the infra-red heat and other treatments, as disclosed in the above referred to patent to Gray et al.

When a pore filler material is included in the composition, it has been found that the soluble resinous materials do not remain in the surface pores in suilicient amount to bind and retain the filler material in some of the surface pores of the more open grained flooring, so as to Withstand the subsequent rubbing-in, brushing and bllffillg operations. The result has been that wood finished as described in the aforementioned Gray et al patent is found to have some Lmfilled or incompletely filled surface pores.

It has been discovered that a superior wearing surface is formed with compositions containing no wood filler materials if a plurality of filmforming resins and cellulose compounds are present in the coating composition, one of which film-forming substances is adapted to form a non-penetrating seal While the other penetrates substantially beneaththe surface of the wood to seal the pores.

Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to compound a penetrating seal finish composition in order to obtain a continous film, and adequate surface adhesion of the filler material in the surface pores when filler is used. Such compounding is effected by inclusion in the composition of a binder material which is less soluble in the petroleum naphtha than the other included binders and, therefore, will be less penetrating. Hence, a significant quantity of such binder material will remain in the surface pores where it is effective to form a concentration of film-forming material and serves to bind the filler material therein, when filler is included.

It is a further object to include non-penetrating film-forming substances in a penetrating seal type of finish composition with or without a wood filler.

According to the present. invention, applicant produces a combined penetrating and non-penetrating wood seal finishing composition by a critical selection of several film-forming substances of the resinous polymer orester type, each soluble preferentially in different solvents blended to the critical degree that one of the resins is in the state of incipient precipitation, that is, it has reached its saturation point with respect to the combined solvents. The film-forming substance in this state of incipient precipitation is substantially non-'penertating.

Soluble, plasticizable, and/or dispersable filmforming materials of the ester or polymer type may be made substantially non-penetrating by proper selections of the film-forming substance with respect to its solubility in the volatile solvent constituent, such as petroleum naphtha, of the penetrating seal composition. By the same principle, where a certain film-forming substance is desirably made non-penetrating, slight modification of the penetrating seal solvent, to lower its tolerance for the particular film-forming substance, will allow the same to function in accordance with this invention, as a non-penetrating film-forming constituent.

Various film-forming substances are useful herein and can be properly modified to have nonpenetrating characteristics by proper selection of the solvent therefor. Thus, a non-penetrating film-forming substance may be a typical resin formed by polymerization, or an ester of a high molecular weight natural compound, such as cellulose. For example, I may use any of the cellulose ethers or esters, such as ethyl cellulose, nitrocellulose, cellulose acetate, butyl cellulose, cellulose acetate butyrate, benzyl cellulose, cellulose acetate propionate, chlorinated rubber (both natural and synthetic), recyclized natural rubber, copolymers of vinylidene chloride and acrylonitrile, and dispersions of phenolformaldehyde resins, or other film-forming agents common in the coating art recognized to have preferential solubility in certain generally polar type solvents and :indifierent or low solubility in petroleum naphtha. These generally will be dissolved in organic solvents of the polar type, the

solvent being selected to be a good sclventfor the particular non-penetrating resin selected. ,It is possible for two or more resins as blends of the above mentioned typeto :be used, :in which case a single solvent or :blend of :solvents, primarily selected to be good solvents for the blended resins will be used. A further criterion for the solvent is not only good solubility'vfor the non-penetrating resin but also moderate or poor solubility for the penetrating type resin. Organic solvents may be esters, alcohols, ketones,

-ethers; halogenated hydrocarbons, and aromatic hydrocarbons of the yolatile .spirit'solvent type, Useful examples thereof are ;listed:

. .Ethers Ethylene glycol monoethyl ether Ethylene glycol mono- Esters Ethyl acetate .Butyl acetate Propyl acetate Benzyl alcohol 'Thezsolvents Will be generally selected from the consideration of fla'shpoint, in view of the high temperature treatment in the wood finishing process, -in addition tothecritical feature of control tolerance for the penetrating resin solution.

The penetrating composition is that typically heretofore used in the :art and consists of :a typically naphtha soluble film-forming substance iSllCh as the :various varnish resins and gums. The natural gums and resinssuchas rosin, limcd rosin, copal, ester gum, etc., easily soluble in high 'flashpoint petroleum naphtha may be used, as well as other typical penetrating varnish bases of a synthetic character; Ior'example, drying oil modified alkyd iresins, such as reaction products of aliphatic .polyh-ydric alcohols, i. e. glycerol or .pentaerythritol with polybasic acids typic'ally'phthalic.anhydrid modified with linseed oil or .China wood soil :or :drying :oil fatty acids thereof.

'Both solutions of non-penetrating [and penetrating film-forming substances will then .be blended in quantity, .and -.:critically adjusted so that the non-penetrating film -forming :subs'tance just begins to precipitate out, the-mixture show 'ing a slight cloud at this point. .Aftersuchcritical adjustment, when the composition is applied to wood for .the :finishing thereof, the penetrating composition "will :tend to :be .drawn :into the spores of the :wood, as usual, :and ,the non-penetrating component,;in:a state :ofrincipientprecipiitation, will tend to remain :as 2a film on the surface of the wood. Such surface film, as indicated above, tends to fill irregularities in the pores, particularly in a close-pored wood, and for large open-pored wood, acts as a desirable binder substance to smoothly adhere the filler material in the surface pores when filler material is used.

Thus it will be understood that filler materials will be added to the composition particularly where open pored woods are to be treated. Various modifying components known in coating compositions, such as drying oils, dryers, pigments, etc., may be added. The absolute quantity of eitherftype of resin used for penetrating sand nonepenetrating purposes will generally :vary from 8 to 22% but such absolute quantity is .not in itself critical. The critical feature is the adjustment of one type of resin solution with respect to the other, whereby the non-penetrating film-forming substance is in the state of incipient precipitation. In the formula- :tion of the composition, a solvent for the nonpenetrating film-forming substance is selected, as noted above, and a .solution comprising .8 to 22% of "the non-penetrating film-forming substance in the solvent "is made up. This solution is then mixed with a typically formed penetrating seal composition in "which the solvent is petroleum naphtha, one solution diluting the other until precipitation just begins, that is, one resin begins to .be thrown out of solution.

Example ;I

Atypical formulation is made by dissolving 10% by weight of ,ethyl cellulose (l0 centipoise) with by weight ;of1butanol. Such solution is added to a penetrating seal composition with or without filler, until incipient precipitation takes place. such composition may have the following formula:

4 hour'linseedoll -pounds -.430 Resins (ester gum, limed resin, phenolformalde, copals) pounds 382 Driers (solutions .of lead, manganese and cobalt) gallons 9 10% ethyl cellulose-butanol solution do 35 Naphtha do 300 *Zinc stearate poundsncli' fRaw sienna do 45 Burnt umber do '7 Litharge do 10 /2 'Silex (finely ground silica) do 462 v 15':I: l4l le I I Linseed oil pounds 92 China-wood oil do 30 Pentaerythritol ester of abietic acid, do Phenolformaldehyde resin do v35 Zinc stearate do 1 Soluble lead and'manganese -driers gallo ns '2 Petroleum naphtha do "12 10% solution of copolymer of vinylidene chloride and acrylonitrile in methyl isobutyl 'ketone gallons 10 .nitrile will be used and adjustedin each case to the critical point of incipient precipitation. Similarly, this resin may be .Ieplaced by "th various cellulose esters and ethers, halogenated rubber. tc-

- Example III (In 'the formula of Example II the following composition is substituted for the penetrating seal composition.) A 60% solution in petroleum solvent of an alkyd resin where pentaerythritol is the polyhydric alcohol and where the solid resin contains 24% phthalic anhydride and 60% drying oil fatty acids with a final acid number of from 4-8 pounds 780 Soluble driers gallons 2 Petroleum naphtha do 34 Further addition of a non-penetrating resin may be used in substitution for the non-penetrating resin of Example II, as follows:

50% solid dispersion of an insoluble completely polymerized phenolformaldehyde resin where aromatic solvent and alcohol is used as the continuous phase gallons 16 Various alkyd resins may be substituted for the particular resin given in this formula, for example glycerol may be substituted wholly or in part for the pentaerythritol.

Example IV Neither of the formulas of Examples II and III contains pigment or filler. Where the formula is to contain pigment and filler, the following composition may be added to 100 gallons of either of Examples II and III:

Pounds Titanium dioxide 2 Burnt umber 5 Silex 74 Asbestine '7 Example V Alternatively, pigmentation and filler may be added according to the following formula:

It will be apparent that such compositions may be varied according to known practices in the art and such modifications, except as limited by the claims, are to be included herein.

I claim:

1. A non-aqueous penetrating seal wood finishing composition comprising: the combination of two coating compositions, the first coating composition composed of a penetrating seal finish composition comprising a resin dissolved in petroleum naphtha; and the second composition comprising an organic film-forming substance dissolved in a polar solvent, the film-forming substance of the second coating composition having limited solubility in the petroleum naphtha solvent used for the resin, the two compositions being blended to a homogeneous solution critically adjusted in proportions so that the filmforming substance is in the state of incipient precipitation.

2. A non-aqueous penetrating seal wood finishing composition comprising: the combination of two coating compositions, the first coating composition composed of a penetrating seal finish composition comprising a resin dissolved in petroleum naphtha; and the second coating composition comprising an organic film-forming substance dissolved in a polar solvent, the film-forming substance of the second coating composition having limited solubility in the petroleum naphtha solvent used for the resin, the two compositions being blended to a homogeneous solution critically adjusted in proportions so that the filmforming substance is in the state of incipient precipitation. the two blended compositions having further added thereto a wood filler material.

3. A non-aqueous penetrating seal wood finishing composition comprising: a mixture of a first solution composed of a natural resin, homogeneously dissolved in petroleum naphtha as to be penetratively carried into wood upon application thereto; and a second solution of an organic filmforming substance having limited solubility in petroleum naphtha dissolved in a volatile polar solvent, said second solution being homogeneously mixed with the first solution in such proportions that the film-forming compound therein having limited solubility in petroleum naphtha is saturated with respect to the combined solvents'and is in a state of incipient precipitation, whereby said film-forming substance will not penetrate beneath the surface of wood to the same depth as will the resin dissolved in petroleum naphtha comprising the first solution.

4. A non-aqueous penetrating seal wood fin-' ishing composition comprising: a mixture of a first solution composed of an ester of an acidcontaining natural resin homogeneously dissolved in petroleum naphtha as to be penetratively carried into porous woods upon application thereto; and a second solution of an organic filmforming substance having limited solubility in petroleum naphtha dissolved in a volatile polar solvent, said second solution being homogeneously mixed with the first solution in such proportions that the film-forming compound therein having limited solubility in petroleum naphtha is saturated with respect to the combined solvents and is in a state of incipient precipitation, whereby said film-forming substance will not penetrate beneath the surface of wood to the same depth as will the resin dissolved in petroleum naphtha comprising the first solution.

5. A non-aqueous wood finishing composition comprising: a mixture of a first solution composed of a drying oil modified alkyd resin, homo-.

geneously dissolved in petroleum naphtha as to be penetratively carried into porous woods upon application thereto; and a second solution of an organic film-forming substance having limited solubility in petroleum naphtha dissolved in a voltatile polar solvent, said second solution being homogeneously mixed with the first solution in such proportions that the film-forming compound therein having limited solubility in petroleum naphtha is saturated with respect to the combined solvents and is in a state of incipient precipitation, whereby said film-forming substance will not penetrate beneath the surface of wood to the same depth as will the resin dissolved in naphtha comprising the first solution.

6. A non-aqueous penetrating seal wood finishing composition comprising: a mixture of a first solution composed of a resin dissolved in petroleum naphtha; and a second solution comprising a film-forming cellulose compound containing no elements other than carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen dissolved in a polar aliphatic volatile solvent, said' second solution being homogeneously mixed with the first solution in such proportions that the film-forming cellulose compound therein is saturated with respect to the "arrows? combined: solventsrand. is:-

azstatezof-i incipient precipitatiom. wherebysaid... film-forming; cellulose compound.- will not penetrate-:beneathzthe Surface of'thewood .to, the: same" depth aswill the resin dissolved" in petroleumnaphtha: comprising-thefirst solution. Y

7. A non-aqueous penetra-ting; seal wood: finishing composition comprising: a mixture-of-a first solution composed of a-natural resin'dissolved-in petroleum naphtha; and-a second'solution comprising afilxrr-forming' cellulose compound containing" no elements otherthan carbon,; hydrogen,

oxygen-andnitrogen; dissolved in; a polar aliphatic volatile solvent, said second solution being homogeneously mixed withthe first solution in such; proportions that the-fi-lm-forming cellulose compound-therein is saturated withrespect to thEnCQl'flbiflfid? solvents and is'ina; state of; inoipient: precipitation, whereby said film-forming cellulose compound will not penetrate. beneath the-surface of the wood to the same depth as will the resin dissolved in petroleum naphtha comprising the first solution;

8: A non-aqueouspenetrating seal wood fin-ishingjcompositiorrcomprising: a mixture of afirst solution composed of a drying oil modified alkyd resin dissolved in petroleum naphtha; anda-secnd solution comprising a film-formingcellulose compound containing no elements otherthan carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen-dissolved 1y carried'into wood upon application thereto; I

and a second solution comprisingethyl cellulose dissolved in a polar aliphatic volatile solvent, said second solution being homogeneously mixed with the first solution in-such proportions that the ethyl cellulose thereinis saturated with respect to the combined solvents and isin astate of incipient precipitation, whereby the ethyl cellulose will not penetrate beneath the surface of wood to. the -same depth as will theresindissolvedin petroleum naphtha com-prising the first solution.

10..A- non-aqueous penetrating seal wood finishing. composition comprising: a mixture :of a firstsolution composed of a resin homogeneously dissolved in petroleum naphtha as' to -be penetratively carried into .wood upon application thereto; and asecond solution comprising-cellulose. acetate dissolved in a polar aliphatic volatile-solvent; saidsecond. solution -;be ing homo.- geneously mixed with the; first; solution; in such proportions thattthe: celluloseacetatetherein is saturated with respect; togthe; combined solvents andis in a state of incipient precipitatiomwhereby? the cellulose acetate will not penetrate be.-

neath the surface -ofthe wood to the --same de-- greeas will the resin dissolved in petroleum naphthacomprising the first solution,

l;1 .'.A non-aqueous penetrating seal wood finishing composition comprising: a; mixture :of; a first solution composed ofya-resinhomogeneously dissolved... in:- petroleum; naphtha as; to.-- bee penetratively carriedi intoi= wood upon application thereto; and a second. solution comprisingnitro cellulose. dissolved. in a polar. aliphaticvolatile solvent, said second solution beinghomogeneous- 1y mixed with the first solution in such proportions that the nitro cellulose therein is saturated with respe'ct'to the: combined solvents and is in a state of incipient precipitation, whereby the nitro cellulose will not penetrate beneath the surface of the 'wood to the same degreeas willthe resin dissolved inpetroleum naphthacomprising the first solution.

12. A non-aqueous penetrating seal" wood finishingcomposition comprising: a mixture. of a first solution; composed of-a'resin homogeneously dissolved in petroleum. naphtha: as. to-.-be.-penetratively carried into wood upon application thereto; and a second solution comprising chlorinated rubber dissolved in a polar aliphatic'volatile solvent, said secondsolution being homogeneously mixed with the first solution in such proportions that the chlorinated rubber thereinis saturated'with respect to thecombinedsolvents and is in a state of incipient precipitation, whereby the chlorinatedrubber will not penetrate. beneath the surface of the wood to the same depth as will the resin dissolved in petroleum naphtha comprising the first solution.

13. A non-aqueous penetratingseal woodfii'iishing composition comprising: a' mixture of axfirst solution composed of a resin homogeneously dissolved in petroleum naphtha as totbe. penetrative- 1y carried into porous woods upon application thereto; and a second solution comprising-awopolymer of vinylidene chloride andacrylonitrile dissolved in a polar aliphatic volatile solvent-said second solution being homogeneously mixed. with the first solution in such proportions that the vinylidene chloride and acrylonitrile copolymer therein is saturated with respect to the combined solvents and is in a'state of incipient precipitation, whereby the vinylidene chloride and acrylonitrile copolymer will not penetrate beneath the surface of the wood to the same depth as will 'the resin dissolved in petroleum naphtha comprising the first solution.

14'. A non-aqueous penetrating seal wood'finishing composition comprising awood fill'ersuspended in a mixture of afirst solution composed of a resin homogeneously dissolved in petroleum hydrocarbon naphtha as to be. penetratively carried into porous woods upon application thereto and. a second solution composed of a. cellulose compound selected from the group consisting of ethyl cellulose, cellulose acetate, cellulose. acetate butyratacellulose acetate propionate, cellulose nitrate andbenzyl cellulose, dissolved in a volatile polar aliphatic solvent said second solution being homogeneously mixed with the first solutionin such proportions that the cellulose compounds normally insoluble in hydrocarbon naphtha are saturatedwith respect to the combined solvents, and in a state of incipient precipitation, whereby said cellulose compounds will not penetrate. be.- neath the surface of .the wood tothesame degree which the. naphtha soluble resinswill penetrate and the filler material is bonded. in the surface pores substantially by the cellulose compound.

15. .The composition defined in claim 14 additionally including a drying; oil and a dryer.

16. The composition defined inclaim .14. where'- in the; cellulose compound is ethyl cellulose.

17,- The composition as; defined in claim.- 1.4 wherein; the. cellulose. compound is cellulose ace .tate.-, W

18. The composition as defined in claim 14 wherein the cellulose compound is cellulose nitrate.

19. The composition of claim 2 additionally including a drying oil and a drier.

20. The composition of claim 5 additionally including a mineral pore filler substance, a drying oil and a drier homogeneously suspended and dissolved therein.

21. A non-aqueous wood finishing composition comprising a mixture of a first solution composed o f a soap of an acid-containing natural resin homogeneously dissolved in petroleum naphtha as to be penetratively carried into porous woods upon application thereto; and a second solution of an organic film-forming substance having limited solubility in petroleum naphtha dissolved in a volatile polar solvent, said second so lution being homogeneously mixed with the first solution in such proportions that the film-forming compound therein having limited solubility in petroleum naphtha is saturated with respect to the combined solvents and is in a state of incipient precipitation, whereby said film-forming substance will not penetrate beneath the surface 01' the wood to the same depth as will the resin dissolved in naphtha comprising the first solution.

FRANK H. LYONS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Num er Name Date 1,399,838 Abbey Dec. 13, 1921 1,435,031 Taylor Nov. 7, 1922 1,800,120 Vivas -1 Apr, 7, 1931 1,828,449 Seymour Oct. 28, 1931 1,838,618 Griffiths Dec. 29, 1931 1,885,780 Stille Nov. 1, 1932 1,902,256 Moss Mar. 21, 1933 1,936,989 Peters Nov. 28, 1933 2,061,509 Laney Nov. 17, 1936 2,075,376 Ubben Mar. 30, 1937 2,138,211 Schnorf Nov. 29, 1938 2,254,072 Jenkins Aug. 26, 1941 2,266,159 Bucy Dec. 16, 1941 2,316,752 Atkinson Apr. 20, 1943 2,328,566 Mathews Sept. 7, 1943 2,356,025 Bergamini Aug. 15, 1944 2,474,567 Applegate Sept. 7, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 211,520 Germany July 6, 1909 605.225 Germany Nov. 7, 1,934 

1. A NON-AQUEOUS PENETRALTING SEAL WOOD FINISHING COMPOSITION COMPRISING: THE COMBINATION OF TWO COATING COMPOSITIONS, THE FIRST COATING COMPOSITION COMPOSED OF A PENETRATING SEAL FINISH COMPOSITION COMPRISING A RESIN DISSOLVED IN PETROTEUM NAPHTHA; AND THE SECOND COMPOSITION COMPRISING AN ORGANIC FILM-FORMING SUBSTANCE DISSOLVED IN A POLAR SOLVENT, THE FILM-FORMING SUBSTANCE OF THE SECOND COATING COMPOSITION HAVING LIMITED SOLUBILITY IN THE PETROLEUM NAPHTHA SOLVENT USED FOR THE RESIN, THE TWO COMPOSITIONS BEING BLENDED TO A HOMOGENOUS SOLUTION CRITICALLY ADJUSTED IN PROPORTIONS SO THAT THE FILMFORMING SUBSTANCE IS IN THE STATE OF INCIPIENT PRECIPITATION. 